Mini Comics Review: Lost Kisses #4

Writer / artist Brian John Mitchell plays out a bizarre narcissistic hate-fest in this story dealing with the death of an ex-girlfriend. There’s an extreme contrast between the overbearing self-importance he expresses in losing a woman who he hasn’t dated for years, and the blame that he assumes for a death that was certainly not his fault. The more uncomfortable moments deal with his treatment of cancer-related issues. He seems to dislike his ex-girlfriend’s widowed husband simply for running in a Race for the Cure marathon. In another awkward display, he ponders if keeping his ex away from the microwave may have saved her life, as if cancer was so easily prevented as the common cold.

It’s these strange thoughts that create an endearing yet revolting feeling while reading the tale. More often than not, the hand scrawled words of the character contrast greatly with the text printed below, developing new meaning as the two forms of communication merge. The art in this issue is more about the word balloon than the characters or their actions.

I can’t help but want to watch more as the Mitchell examines his own uncomfortable thoughts and feelings with brutal honesty. It’s not that this story is about the eye-opening journey of losing someone close to you. Rather, the tale is about the nagging thoughts in the back of your subconscious that may not play out politically correct, but they come from the same place that causes people to crack jokes at a funeral and mock someone from beyond the grave. These are healthy emotions, albeit undeveloped, which will hopefully only become healthier through expression. I praise the creator for being brutally honest even at the expense of his own creative security.